Inyo Express

kellymoe

Expedition Leader
Inyo/Saline Experience

"I gotta pull over and get some drugs". Hiking and exploring in the 120 degree heat had taken it's toll on my body. I had a pounding headache and needed relief now. My dad and I were speeding along the Saline Valley North Pass road when I decided to pull over and hydrate and take a few strong meds. As stepped out of the truck I noticed headlights and dust fast approaching behind us. This was the first vehicle my dad and I had seen in 2 days and 150 off road miles.

A white Jeep Rubicon came sliding to a stop and a very tan robust white haired and bearded man came jumping out the Jeep. Santa drives a Rubicon? He came running up to me saying yelling "Saline 130?!!". Saline 130 is my user name on another adventure site. I said yes and he responded "XPBC", his user name. The interweb is truly a weird conduit of information and communication. His dress consisted of a pair of camouflage Crocs and camouflage shorts and a cool vintage pair of Ray Ban Wayfarers. He was a mix between Santa and one of the guys in ZZ Top.

We had a long conversation about the Saline Valley hot springs, Big Horn sheep, guzzlers, fabricated bumpers, home made moonshine, beer, mining, Land Rovers and Jeeps. We said our goodbyes and he was off to Benton Hot springs. I finally got my meds and relief came soon after. It was a fantastic encounter in the middle of nowhere.

My trip was intended to be a solo trip to the Inyos and the Saline Valley. Two days before I left I was talking to my dad and it occurred to me that we hadn't been on a trip together in a while. I asked if he would be interested in driving in 120 degree heat in my Land Rover with no AC. Without hesitation he said yes!

We left Burbank on Wednesday morning and headed North. Our first stop was lunch at the Ranch House Cafe. The customers where a mix of CDF firemen and one firewoman:) , sorry, I'm a fireman in a LA and I have a hard time saying firefighter, too PC. The others where Los Angeles DWP workers, cowboys and some guys who are doing something to Owens Dry lake to keep the dust down. If your in the area don't miss the Ranch House.

My initial plans were to drive to the Eureka Dunes for the first night, but as we drove North on 395 I was telling my dad about Papoose Flat and some rock climbing I had done up there about 10 years earlier. As we entered Independence we changed our plans. We gassed up and headed East up Mazourka Cyn.

It was well over 100 degrees in the Owens Valley but as we ascended Mazourka Cyn the temps dropped fast. Within 40 minutes the temps were in the 70's.

The last time I drove this road was last Winter during a snow storm. There are a few sections of off camber and under normal conditions it gets your attention but is not too difficult. But the snow and sleet on shale made the back end do some pretty funky stuff. But now it was clear and dry and we pushed on to Papoose Flat.

Papoose Flat is like Joshua Tree except it is situated at 9k feet and has a million dollar view of the Eastern Sierra. I pointed out to my dad a few cracks and formations that I had climbed back in my prime and 20 pounds lighter. We snapped pictures moved on.

We drove East out of Papoose Flat. The trail follows a sandy bottomed wash as it snakes it's way toward Upper Marble Cyn. which is known for it's high concentration of gold. This was made obvious by the numerous mine shafts and addits. I gotta say that these hard rock miners are truly some of the toughest ********** on the planet and probably a little off mentally.

With the a blanket of darkness sliding over the Great Basin to the East we headed South on the Wacouba/Saline road looking for a place to camp.
 
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kellymoe

Expedition Leader
Inyo Express part II

The Wacouba/Saline road reaches a high point of about 7200 feet before it drops like rock to the Saline Valley floor which lay at about 1000 feet. We made camp at the high point to avoid high temps at night in the Saline Valley. Coffee, soup and campfire and we were off to bed.

The Wacouba Peak area was a route used by Piute Indians for thousands of years and as a result the area is littered with shards of obsidian that shines like glass in the morning sun. You cant walk 5 feet without seeing a chips strewn about.

With breakfast and coffee out of the way and the truck loaded we headed down, down , down into the Saline. The Saline Valley road is not a difficult road, but it does test your vehicle to the limit. Renowned for world-beater washboard the Saline Valley road has seen perfectly good vehicles fall apart faster than Brittany Spears in a matter of a few miles. To prevent this it is a good idea to air down your tires and travel at a speed somewhere between control chaos.

As we dropped the temperature rose. By 10 a.m. the temp was reading 110 degrees. We headed up a alluvial fan toward McEvoy Cyn on the East side of the Inyos. McEvoy Cyn has a year round stream that disappears into the desert floor as it exits the cyn. At the end of the road to McEvoy is a small trail that heads up the creek bed. Burros find protection from the mid day heat in these canyons and it is evident by the piles of dung along the trail. After 35 minutes of hiking to the mouth of the canyon we were treated to waterfall that seeps out of the canyon wall and showers you with cool water. I sat there in the shade and hummed a few lines of Marty Robbins. We soaked in the cool water and the equally cool views of the canyon and valley before heading back into the furnace below.

When we arrived back at the truck the temp was now 120. What a better time than to head across the valley to the hot springs. With temps still climbing we made out way to the oasis of the Saline Valley Warm Springs.

As we near the springs we noticed burros cooling themselves under the palms of the Lower Springs. They were the only inhabitants. Even Lizard Lee the official NPS Host was gone. We continued up the the Upper Springs. The Upper Springs consists of two improved pools that were constructed back in the 60's and 70's by a guy named the Wizard who had a dog named Satan. History like that just adds to the atmosphere of this magical place. Today the place was empty but on a typical day in the Winter you can run into characters with names like Chili Bob, Silver Bob, Mammoth Dave, Mandolin Bob who by the way lost his Mandolin, I suggested he change his name but he just looked at me like the RCA dog as he sat totally naked on his bike.

Anyway, we arrived at the springs at 2 p.m. and had the place to ourselves. We napped under palms and watched jack rabbits and burros cruise the area looking for shade. We sat in the pool and watched jets from China Lake roar just a hundred feet off the deck over the springs. I love this place. I have been coming here for 22 years and it has the same affect on me now as it did 22 years ago.



I'm tired. I'll finish up on Sunday when I get home from work.
 

kellymoe

Expedition Leader
Ah screw it, I'll finish it up now.


My plan was to hang at the springs until the shadow of the Inyos covered the Saline Valley Rd. I figured this would let us drive in the shade and maybe help keep my coolant temperature down. While we waited I took advantage of the shower that is available behind the Wizard Pool. This is a outdoor shower with the best views in California. It's also kind of a social thing in the busier times of the year. On several occasions I have been taking a shower when someone will walk up and just start talking to you while they wait for the shower. If you are the least bit shy about nudity this place is better off left alone. In fact it's not that great, you really should just head for the nearest KOA or Yosemite.

Hair washed and one more dip in the pool and we loaded up and headed North back to Wacouba and cooler temps. On the way back I had the chance to point out to my dad some older trails that we used to take in to the valley before the Desert Protection Act of 92:rolleyes: :violent-smiley-031: saved the desert from certain annihilation, and old Indian trails that traverse the valley from camp to camp. We climbed North as searing desert heat released the creosote bushes intoxicating fragrance. Nothing stirs my emotions for the desert like the smell of creosote. The smell of creosote being carried by the wind from a distant cloudburst or the fragrance being released in it's oils on a scorching day. Nothing better.

Right about now was when Santa caught up to us. My dad wasn't able to meet any colorful characters at the springs but after meeting Santa he now has a inkling of local color.

We arrived back at our high camp just as a full moon rose in the South East and lit up the Pinyon Pines around us. Sleep came easy after a day of fun in the sun, as my boss used to say when I was a river guide way back when. "Fun in the sun and pay to".

The next morning, which as I write was actually this morning we loaded up and began the drive out toward the road to Big Pine. As the sun rose the shrill of Cicada's sounded in the trees as they prepare to morph into whatever it is they become. Empty Cicada carcasses could be found just about as plentiful as the obsidian chips on the ground.

We pulled into Big Pine on fumes and fueled up with petrol
(I do drive a Land Rover:) and walked next door to a cafe for a big breakfast and a history lesson on the fire brigade in Germany. My truck seems to draw out people who like to talk. An old guy from Germany who now lives in Big Pine who has a girlfriend who used to be a ski racer and who had a Land Rover in Germany proceeded to talk my ear off while my breakfast got cold. Now worries. I love listening to small town locals. I'm not much of a talker so it's nice to just sit and listen.

After breakfast we drove down to Aberdeen Rd. and headed for the Owens River where Taboose Creek flows in. At a nice grassy bend in the river we lounged in the cool water of the Owens before LA uses it to water lawns and drinking water. Can they detect urine:confused:

Back on the 395 South my dad and I talked about past and future trips. My dads father died a year and a half ago. Growing up my dad used to tell me about trips to the desert with his dad in WW2 surplus Jeeps and meeting Seldom Seen Slim at Balarat in the Panamint Valley, or week long backpack trips in the Sierra using wood framed backpacks and cast iron pots, titanium is for chumps:)
I don't know how long my dad will be around, heck I don't know how long I'll be around. My grandfather past on a love for the mountains and deserts to my dad and my dad has given me the same gift and I intend to do the same for my kids.
 

kellymoe

Expedition Leader
One more thing.


I was extremely impressed with the performance of my truck on this trip. It is a 1988 Land Rover Defender 130 with a carburated 3.5 V8 with Edelbrock intake manifold and carburator. Temps ranged from 55 to 123 degrees. We traveled 200 miles on moderate fourwheel drive trails from elevations ranging from 1100 to 10,200 feet. The truck never missed a beat, even on the long haul out of the Saline in 120 degree heat.

To stay cool while driving I used a 12v swamp cooler from www.swampy.net called the Mighty Kool. It made a huge difference while driving. I can also run it off my 15w solar panel.

My retread tires continue to impress me year after year. I took a gamble 4 years ago and bought retread mud terrain tires from www.treadwright.com for $65 each. They have performed flawlessly through all conditions and terrain. I have taken them through razor sharp lava fields and shale. The rubber sticks like glue to granite. The only problem I have had was a sidewall puncture, but that could happen to any tire.

In the several years I have owned the truck it has never let me down or left me on the side of the road. I wish I could say the same for my 94 Discovery. The Discovery sits now with a layer of dust on it waiting to be parted out while the 130 is now my daily driver.

I'll get off my soapbox now;)
 

kellymoe

Expedition Leader
Here are a few more pictures from the trip.

Picture 1. This is a shot taken looking West from Papoose Flat toward the Palisades Glacier region of the Sierra Nevada.

Picture 2. These are ferns that grow thick despite the 120 degree heat. These were found in McEvoy Cyn. They are fed from water seeping out of the cliffs and bat guano that is deposited on them from bats that live in the cracks in the cliff above.

Picture 3. Several years ago I visited Papoose Flat with a climbing buddy of mine. We climbed several new routes over the period of a few days. This is one of the formations we climbed. Our route follows the left skyline.

Picture 4. The Wizard Pool sits at the base of these palms. My favorite memory of the Saline Valley is sitting in the Wizard pool at night during a full moon and listening to the wind in the palms above the pool.
 

Green Ganesha

Adventurer
Kevin, that was an excellent write-up of a great trip to a magical destination (for which I definitely share your love). Beautiful photos too. And very touching that you could experience it all with your dad.

And I seriously admire your heat stamina! :bowdown:
 

kellymoe

Expedition Leader
Green Ganesha said:
Kevin, that was an excellent write-up of a great trip to a magical destination (for which I definitely share your love). Beautiful photos too. And very touching that you could experience it all with your dad.

And I seriously admire your heat stamina! :bowdown:

Thanks, I took a hint from the local fauna for the heat. When we pulled up to the springs there were 3 burros under the trees and they did not move an inch. They made that shade their own. Same with the Jackrabbits. If needed I could easily have walked up and grabbed them by the ears and had them for dinner:D Both rabbit and burro stood their ground so we moved on to our own little oasis.
 

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